Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for the Wool Exported from Lesotho

In accordance with the regulations established by the General Administration of Customs of China and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition of Lesotho regarding quarantine and sanitary requirements for Lesotho wool, the import of Lesotho wool meeting the following requirements is permitted effective immediately.

I. Basis for Inspection and Quarantine

(I) *Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China*;

(II) *Law of the People's Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine* and its implementing regulations;

(III) *Administrative Measures for the Inspection, Quarantine, and Supervision of Non-edible Animal Products for Entry and Exit*;

(IV) *Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition of the Kingdom of Lesotho on Quarantine and Sanitary Requirements for the Export of Lesotho Wool to China* (hereinafter referred to as the "Protocol").

II. Scope of Imported Products

"Wool" refers to unprocessed, greasy wool produced within Lesotho, including raw wool and mohair (hereinafter referred to as "raw wool").

III. Requirements for Production Enterprises

Production, processing, and storage facilities for raw wool intended for export to China must be approved and subject to routine supervision by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition of Lesotho. Furthermore, they must be registered with the General Administration of Customs of China before they are permitted to export raw wool to China.

IV. Requirements for Imported Products

(I) Sanitary requirements regarding the place of origin.

1. In accordance with relevant regulations of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition of Lesotho confirms that Lesotho is free from rinderpest, peste des petits ruminants (PPR), and sheep and goat pox; should any of the aforementioned diseases occur in Lesotho, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition of Lesotho shall immediately suspend the export of raw wool from the entire country to China;

2. Within the six months prior to shearing, no outbreaks of anthrax, ovine brucellosis, or Rift Valley fever occurred in the region of origin of the raw wool (defined as an area with a radius of at least 50 km centered on the farm), and no human cases of anthrax or ovine brucellosis infection were reported;

3. Regarding Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD):

No FMD outbreaks occurred on the farms where the source animals were kept within the 12 months prior to shearing; or, if the farms were located in an FMD-infected zone, the raw wool must have been processed to inactivate the FMD virus using the following methods prescribed in Article 8.8 of the WOAH *Terrestrial Animal Health Code*:

(1) Storage at 4°C for 4 months, or,

(2) Storage at 18°C ​​for 4 weeks, or,

(3) Storage at 37°C for 8 days, or,

(4) Fumigation with formaldehyde in a sealed chamber for at least 24 hours; and,

The aforementioned processes must be carried out at production/processing enterprises and storage facilities that are registered with China Customs and approved and supervised by the Lesotho Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition.

(II) Requirements for source animals.

1. Healthy animals born and raised in Lesotho and subject to the animal disease monitoring of the Lesotho Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition;

2. Not subject to animal movement restrictions due to outbreaks of diseases transmissible via wool that pose risks to human health and animal health, such as anthrax or ovine brucellosis.

(III) Production and processing requirements.

Prior to baling, the raw wool must be sorted and graded according to standard procedures by qualified personnel from the Lesotho Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition to ensure it is free from contaminants such as animal tissue, blood, feces, and soil, as well as harmful weeds and weed seeds.

V. Packaging and Labeling Requirements

(I) The packaging area shall be clean and free from contamination by foreign fibers;

(II) Packaging materials shall be new or disinfected, intact in appearance, and possess good wrapping and binding properties;

(III) Packaging shall bear clear English labeling, indicating at a minimum: country of origin, product name, production batch number, registration number, package number, and shipping marks.

VI. Storage and Transportation Requirements

(I) Packaging containers and shipping containers used for raw wool exported to China shall be clean, sanitary, and comply with relevant veterinary and sanitary requirements;

(II) Under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition of Lesotho, containers shall be disinfected with effective disinfectants prior to use; after loading and before sealing, they shall be fumigated (e.g., with formaldehyde) and secured with tamper-evident seals bearing unique numerical codes;

(III) Effective measures shall be taken to prevent contamination of the raw wool during transport; in the event of transit through a third country or region, outer packaging (such as containers) must not be opened, and seals must remain intact;

(IV) The duration from the storage of each batch of raw wool in Lesotho to its arrival in China upon export shall be no less than 28 days.

VII. Pre-export Inspection and Certification Requirements

(I) Raw wool exported to China shall undergo quarantine by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition of Lesotho; a sanitary certificate shall be issued in accordance with the specimen confirmed by both parties, certifying that the product meets the requirements of the *Protocol*; the sanitary certificate shall include English text; the sanitary certificate specimen and official seal must be notified to and confirmed by China Customs before becoming effective;

(II) Each batch of raw wool exported to China must be accompanied by at least one original official sanitary certificate.

VIII. Entry Quarantine Requirements

(I) Quarantine approval.

Importing enterprises shall obtain the "Quarantine Permit for the Entry of Animals and Plants" in accordance with relevant regulations.

(II) Verification of certificates and documents.

1. Verify whether the "Quarantine Permit for the Entry of Animals and Plants" is attached;

2. Verify whether the goods originate from a registered enterprise;

3. Verify the authenticity and validity of the sanitary certificate.

(III) Inspection of goods.

China Customs shall conduct inspection and quarantine on raw wool exported from Lesotho to China in accordance with relevant laws, administrative regulations, and rules, as well as the requirements of this announcement. Goods that pass inspection and quarantine shall be permitted entry.

(IV) Handling of non-compliant cases.

Non-compliant products shall be subject to return, destruction, or other handling measures in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations. For production enterprises involved in serious issues or repeated non-compliance, China Customs will take measures such as strengthening inspection and quarantine or suspending imports.

GACC